Report: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Signed by UFC, May Debut at UFC 72

The constant criticism about next month’s UFC 72 fight card (and its perceived weakness) may get a major and marketable reprieve.

According to the official Web site for Chute Box, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (16-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), winner of PRIDE’s 2005 Grand Prix Tournament, has been signed by the UFC and may fight at next month’s UFC 72 event in Belfast, Ireland.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has signed a contract with the UFC and may participate in UFC 72.

No additional confirmation of the signing has been reported anywhere else, so fight fans shouldn’t take the news as gospel quite yet.

Rua is widely considered one of the sport’s top light heavyweights, and should the 25-year-old make his way to the UFC Octagon, he’d be an immediate contender for Chuck Liddell’s light-heavyweight title.

Rua has fought for PRIDE Fighting Championships since October 2003 and has racked up victories over such notables as Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira.

UFC 72 is currently headlined by former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin vs. top contender Yushin Okami. The rest of the card has been criticized vehemently by UFC fans who were originally told that the event would air for free on Spike TV. Soon after MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) pointed out that UFC.com had the event listed as a Spike TV broadcast, the information was removed, and UFC 72 was changed to a pay-per-view event with a $39.95 suggested retail price.

The event already has the usual nine rumored fights. However, just last month, UFC 70 featured 10 bouts, so it’s not inconceivable to imagine UFC 72 also having 10.

Regardless, a possible Rua fight would certainly make the night’s televised portion of UFC 72. Obviously, there’s been no news of a potential opponent, but it’s worth noting that UFC fighter Renato “Babalu” Sobral is one of only two fighters ever to defeat Rua (International Fighting Championship’s “Global Domination” in 2003).

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